


Legends

by jadestrick



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe, F/M, Legends, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-28
Updated: 2011-10-28
Packaged: 2017-10-25 01:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/270067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadestrick/pseuds/jadestrick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All legends have to begin somewhere.  Written October 1, 2009.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Legends

**Author's Note:**

> **Title:** Legends  
>  **Author:** jadestrick  
>  **Fandom:** Stargate SG-1  
>  **Character/Pairing:** Sam/Cam  
>  **Rating:** PG-13  
>  **Summary:** All legends have to begin somewhere.  
>  **Disclaimer:** I own a vanilla latte that I'm drinking, a few Neil Gaiman books and I borrowed this laptop. Alas, none of these characters are mine and I claim nothing. This world is unfair.  
>  **Author's Notes:** Once upon a time, [cutehands](http://cutehands.livejournal.com/) requested more Sam/Cam smut. Alas, my muse went elsewhere. :) So until that smut returns to my mind, this is what came out of it.

Samantha made continuous eye contact with the crowd. They all appeased her by moving aside for her uncle to pass through. She couldn't help that her smile, meant for the crowd in gratitude, was more a smile of amusement. Her uncle was perfectly capable of working his way through a crowd. Elderly though he was, his strength never waned. Callused hands and a sharp mind made her the niece of the greatest thinker and forger of their time.

They finally reached the platform where great chairs sat for those of honor. She braced her uncle's hand as he crept up the stairs.

"Will you ever stop this charade?" she whispered into his ear.

"Not in my lifetime, my dear," her uncle whispered back, his eyes twinkling. "And considering how long that's lasting, I may have to continue it for a very long time."

She smiled as he finally slumped down into the chair upholstered in red velvet. He heaved a great sigh and fanned himself with his sleeve, continuing the show. Samantha saw faces in the crowd whispering and pointing in their direction. She turned away from their faces and sat down upon the simple stool beside her uncle's grand seat of honor. He had already leaned over and was speaking with Menius and Lesher, no doubt discussing the new designs for the Traveler's Bridge.

The announcement would begin soon and the castle's balcony was festooned with a banner and flags of deep blue, bearing the king's coat of arms. The walls stood proudly and sturdy, rising above the crowd of hundreds as they waited for the king to appear. From the platform, she had the best view of the balcony, and she knew she would hear his soothing voice with perfect clarity.

But the voices she heard at the moment were the whispers of her uncle and Menius. Whispers about the sword. She knew better than to reprimand her uncle, for the sword was no longer a secret. The whole of the kingdom knew about this sword. Word traveled quickly through servants once it had been delivered into the king's hands.

She hung her head and looked at her fingernails. A flush crept upon her face, even though she felt cool in the autumn breeze.

Word would have indeed travelled quickly considering that she had been the one to deliver the sword.

*****

Samantha waited in the grand hallway leading to the throne room. Two guards stood watch on either side of the enormous wooden doors. She pulled her cloak around her. It concealed the sword in the scabbard braced to her back. She felt the cold metal of the sword's hilt graze the back of her neck, and she reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Servants walked into the throne room carrying trays of wine goblets, making Samantha wet her lips with the tip of her tongue in thirst. Her journey from her uncle's cabin was a journey she usually enjoyed, but today she was too nervous for seeing the king and the weight of the sword made her burden even heavier.

Raised voices echoed into the hallway and she turned her head to see the king pacing the dais at the other end of the throne room. His advisors were arguing, but he was quietly taking step after step, deep in his own train of thoughts. That was the way of this king. Never had the kingdom known a more wise and caring man to lead them. She watched as he sat upon the throne, dismissing his advisors' argument and leaned in to whisper to an older man dressed in the robes of an honored servant.

The older man bowed slightly and walked toward Samantha. She tucked the loose strand behind her ear again and rubbed her cheeks, hoping she would be deemed presentable. For all her uncle had given to the kingdom, she was still only a peasant's daughter.

"My Lady Samantha," greeted the man as he reached out a hand toward her.

She took his hand and braced it. "You're too kind, Master Julius. And too formal." She gave him a knowing smile.

Julius raised his eyebrows and mirrored her smile. "Not according to the king, my lady."

Samantha flushed and dropped her hand from his. Julius motioned toward the throne room. "If you'll follow me." He turned and walked toward the dais.

She clasped her hands in front of her and entered the throne room. Stained glass windows lined either side of the room, reaching up to the ceiling. Marble rafters met in the middle of the ceiling around another stained glass window, round and streaming with sunshine. She cast her eyes to the sunlight on the floor and saw the colored reflections of the sun. As she reached the dais, the blue carpet ended in a stream of handmade tassels. She focused on the tassels as she bowed deeply before the throne.

"Your Majesty," she whispered. She dared to raise her head and look upon group of men watching her. Master Julius smiled at her from his place beside the king; Duke Lucian and the other advisors made no attempt to hide their leering eyes; various servants glanced at her quickly, no doubt trying to see why the king would welcome her rather than her noble uncle. Standing beside Julius, a man watched her. Dressed in a commoner's clothes, he stood out among the bold colors of royal robes, but his features surpassed them all. Deep green eyes bore into her own and without knowing why, she suddenly realized she wasn't breathing. She saw his lips curve into a small smile. Her own lips returned the expression before she caught herself and tore her eyes away to look at the king.

The king smiled at her and rose from the throne. He reached out a hand and she kissed his signet ring. She raised her eyes and he leaned in close to her face.

"Walk with me," he said.

He held her hand and guided her out of the throne room and down the grand hallway. His advisors and Master Julius followed, including the man who had captured her attention.

The king seemed to delight in conversing with her, and she appreciated his candor. He asked how she faired living away from town and the society of people her age and she claimed she preferred solitude. He recalled an amusing story of one of her uncle's adventures and her laughter rang through the hall, sounding strangely out of place with the deep bellows of Duke Lucian and the rest of the men. As she finished telling him of her uncle's new projects, they reached a balcony that overlooked the kingdom and the deep shades of sunset on the horizon.

The king lifted a hand to halt his troupe and led her out onto the balcony. He looked at her in earnest. "And how are _your_ projects coming along?"

Surprised, Samantha could only look at the king.

He smiled. "Lady Samantha, I am well aware that you share your uncle's mastery at science and artistry." She dropped her gaze, unsure of how to respond. She felt the king's fingers touch her chin and lift her head to look at him once more. "And I am certain that your talent may yet exceed even that of your uncle. And I would wish to have your gifts benefit this kingdom in your own name, rather than that of your uncle's."

Samantha felt a tear slide down her cheek at the gift the king bestowed upon her. She bowed deeply. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

He smiled deeply at her and took her hands in his, raising her from the bow. "Talent should never be wasted, even if it goes against propriety. In fact, your uncle will probably find this news a story worth sharing over and over, if only to embarrass you."

Samantha laughed, the king joining in. When they had recovered, he motioned to the strange man to join them. "My lady, I'd like to present my cousin, Cameron." She raised her eyebrows in surprise, quickly dipping into a bow. The king sensed her confusion at Cameron's dress and whispered. "Cameron has been on an errand trying to split up a group of thieves."

Cameron grinned at his cousin. "'Trying' may too gentle a word, cousin. Unless I'm mistaken, I succeeded."

Samantha smiled and saw the king roll his eyes. "I may need to find another errand for you, Cam. All this sarcasm outwits my own."

They laughed and the king signaled to Master Julius. The older man led the troupe of advisors away from the trio. The king's expression grew serious. "Now, My Lady, I believe you have a precious relic on your person."

Cameron walked behind Samantha as she reached up and untied the lacings of her cloak. The fabric fell into his hands. She unbuckled the scabbard from her shoulder and passed it to Cameron, the weight of the sword lifting from her back. Their fingers grazed and she looked into his eyes again. The same smile from earlier reached his eyes and again, she found herself lost. This time, he broke the look of longing and turned toward the king. Placing the scabbard in his left hand, he grasped the hilt with his right and unsheathed the sword. The scrape of the metal rang in her ears as Cameron placed the sword on her cloak. He turned back to her and held out his hands for her to receive the weapon.

She took in a great breath and placed her hands over Cameron's, sharing the weight of the weapon with him. She looked at him and saw the determination in his eyes. Nodding slightly, she released the sword to its new owner and backed away as Cameron bowed before the king.

For her uncle's sake, Samantha took in every detail of the king's expression and stance as he tested the sword. Finally, the king smiled contentedly and turned to look at her.

"My Lady, you and your uncle have done very well."

She bowed in gratitude and thanked him. The king returned the sword to its scabbard and passed it to Cameron. "With your life, cousin."

Cameron nodded curtly and buckled the sword to his own shoulder, concealing it beneath his cape. He raised Samantha's cloak, but was halted by the king, who took her cloak in his own hands. The king rubbed the fabric with his thumb as he spoke to Samantha. "I want you know something, Samantha. You and your uncle may have very well changed the course of history with this honored weapon. Never doubt that something rugged and unshaped could not blossom into the most important thing in the world."

She watched the king's eyes and saw the deep wisdom and hope of which he spoke. Glancing at Cameron, she saw the echo of those same emotions. She straightened and said, "Your Majesty, I'm honored to have been the deliverer of this kingdom's hope."

He walked behind her and offered her the cloak. After fastening it with his own fingers, he leaned over and kissed her hand. She felt tears prick her eyes again and she bowed in response. Giving her one last smile, the king turned to depart. "See her to the stables, Cameron. Make she has an armed escort home and that no harm comes to her."

Cameron bowed. "None at all, Your Majesty."

The king's robes swished as he walked away.

As Samantha wiped the tears from her eyes, Cameron watched her. "He was wrong, you know."

She blinked in confusion. "Why would you say that?"

He smiled and took a step toward her. "My Lady, you do understand that he knows you made the sword?"

She stared into his eyes until the determined look made her quiver. She dropped her gaze and looked at the stone balustrade of the balcony floor. "It was my uncle's design."

"But only the peaceful hands of a woman could make justice into metal."

"But it's a weapon!" she exclaimed.

"That will bring peace to this starving world," he responded quietly.

"Made by a woman."

"That makes no difference to the king."

She sighed and leaned against the railing. Closing her eyes, she spoke. "May I speak freely, Your Excellency?"

He walked to her and leaned on the railing beside her. "I would ask nothing more."

She opened her eyes and looked at him. "I'm only one person. I'm lost in this mix of nobility and peasantry and rules and why a woman living on the outer edge of town is considered improper. I don't have the standing to do anything to help."

Cameron furrowed his brow. "But you _are_ helping, My Lady. This world is small to us, but it's all we have and what you've done can help save it."

She crossed her arms and glared at him. "But what if I've done nothing but made it worse with this weapon?"

"I won't let that happen."

"How?"

"Because with you here, the world is worth saving."

His expression softened and the breath left her lungs. Cameron turned toward her and reached up to place his hand on the side of her face.

"The king was wrong. You are not only the deliverer, My Lady. You are the hope."

His eyes bore into hers and her heart quickened. Everything in her mind told her to break the penetrating look he was giving her, but she couldn't bear to tear her eyes from his. Something in them told her that it was safe, that in that look she could give all her worries and fears and hopes and dreams. And without another thought, she reached up and touched him on the chest.

Cameron's eyes glazed over and grew darker and instead of cowering back in fear of where she found herself, her emotions turned into total and utter submission to this man she'd hadn't known until tonight. She knew he saw it and his muscles went taught as he pulled her to him and crushed his mouth against hers.

Her hands on his chest, she did not resist, but merely whimpered as his tongue parted her lips and entered her mouth. He enveloped her with his arms and her hands acted of their own accord by moving from his chest to the sides of his neck. She felt the growl that rose in his throat and shivered as it reached her mouth. One hand moved inside of her arms and made contact with her neck. His fingers were gentle and caressed the sensitive pulse area of her skin. The shiver that coursed through her caused her eyes to open and her arms to pull away, breaking the sensation of his lips covering hers.

Breathing heavily, she backed away until she made contact with the railing. Her cheeks felt warm. She dared to look at him and saw the darkened and desirous expression had not faded, but rather been replaced with confusion and muted passion. She mirrored his confusion and searched his face for answers. He was not able to give her any. Rather, he cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"That was not appropriate of me, My Lady. I apologize."

She gazed into his eyes and saw the respectability of a royal return to his demeanor. Without knowing where her strength came from, she took a deep and shuddering breath of her own and became bold.

"Please don't apologize, Your Excellency. I'm not."

Without another word, he crossed the distance to her and took her face in his hands. She smiled and looked into his eyes. "Hope is only worth something if it's believed in, isn't it?"

His smile reached his eyes as he leaned in to kiss her again. Stopping an inch from her lips, he whispered, "We'll save the world together."

*****

The crowd silenced around her and her uncle's conversation with Menius halted. On the balcony where she had stood the night before, the king made his entrance and the crowd cheered. The duke and his other advisors stood behind him, with Cameron at his right side. The king silenced the crowd and told of hope and peace to come. Throughout the speech, his hand rested on the hilt of the sword that would bring peace to their land.

Dressed in the armor of a knight, Cameron scanned the cheering crowd until his eyes fell upon the platform and finally onto her. As the cheers were silenced again by the king, she felt her uncle's hand brush her own and it pulled her back into reality. Her uncle's remarks to Menius reached her ears.

"I always knew Cameron would make a fine knight," he whispered. "This kingdom will thrive with him at the Arthur's side."

She smiled and heard Menius's reply. "I completely agree, Merlin."

Samantha's eyes locked onto Cameron's and only the two of them existed in the little world. But across the stretch of Camelot, the unsheathing of Excalibur echoed.


End file.
